With an eye on Dalit votes, both BJP and RSS are planning for grand celebrations of 125th birth anniversary of Dalit icon Dr BR Ambedkar on April 14. Both the parties claim Ambedkar, the author of India’s Constitution, was much above caste lines and justice has not been done to him so far.
However, Ambedkar and his followers are known to be critical of Hinduism and non-Dalit parties. So will the attempts by BJP to reach out to Dalits, who hold 16% nation’s population, succeed?
BJP is desperate to make inroads into Dalits as Bihar, due for Assembly elections later this year, followed by Uttar Pradesh next year, have a good number of scheduled caste voters. BJP, bolstered by its outstanding performance in the Lok Sabha elections, eyes both the states to consolidate its position in the Hindi heartland after a gap of nearly two decades.
Sources say after Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, BJP is looking to manoeuvre the popularity of another national leader to consolidate its vote base following a crushing defeat in the Delhi elections in February.
A high-profile celebration of Ambedkar’s 125th birth anniversary is expected on April 14 by two RSS mouthpieces, Panchjanya and Organiser, while social justice minister Thawar Chand Gehlot will share the dais with Sangh leader Suresh (Bhaiyyaji) Joshi and former Planning Commission member Narendra Jadhav at an event in Delhi.
The underlying message: Ambedkar — a man of multifaceted talents who framed India’s constitution — belongs to all and not just one section of society.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, is slated to inaugurate a Rs 200-crore research centre and library dedicated to the life and message of the freedom fighter in Delhi on April 20.
“He was a man of many talents. He was the chairman of the drafting committee of our constitution, studied caste and had a sound grip on the economy and foreign policy,” said an RSS leader. “However, we haven’t done justice to him as a society.”
